Only a month
by Saralove33
Summary: Ecklie sends the Nightshift to Elko for 'bonding', in hopes of improving the already succesfull nightshift.


Disclaimer: If I owned CSI, i'd be living in Las Vegas with my 50 cats.

-keep in mind, I havn't wrote anything for a long time so i'm a bit rusty

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He glanced down at his watch before knocking on her door. Five in the morning wasn't too bad, was it? Grissom wanted to get an early start on their traveling. Elko wasn't exactly a short drive away.

He knocked again. Why wasn't she answering? For the slightest second, he thought that maybe she had forgotten when he was to pick her up. Sara wasn't like that though. She's like an elephant..she never forgets.

He knocked on the door again, getting slightly impatient. Maybe the others were already at the airport?

No, probably not. He arranged to meet them there at 6. He just wanted to get there early, which meant pissing Sara off by picking her up early as well.

Still silence.

He picked up the spare key from under the potted plant sitting outside her ground-floor apartment, and opened the door quietly.

"Sara?" He called out to the dark apartment. He glanced over the front room/kitchen, taking in the familiar scene. Last time he had been here, Sara had opened up to him. Confided in him when she trusted nobody else. Told him about her horrifying past.

He slowly walked over to the hallway. Her bedroom door was opened, and he glanced in. The room was dark, but he could see the shape of someone laying on the bed.

"Sara?" He called again, this time softer.

He slowly walked into her bedroom, trying not to make a sound, but failing miserably.

When he saw her sleeping form, his heart jumped. She looked beautiful, even though he could barely see her. She slept in an almost fetal-position, like a little child after a nightmare.

He froze for a moment, just gazing at her. Her soft brown hair fell over her face and her thin arms wrapped loosely around her knees.

Why was he here again? He couldn't exactly remember. His mind has become preoccupied with watching her body move slightly as she breathed.

Then it hit him like a punch. Airport. Six oclock. Elko.

He reached down and gently shook her shoulder.

"Hey Sara. Rise and shine." His tone was loud, but soft.

She groaned and tilted her head a tiny bit, but didn't wake. He shook her a bit harder.

"Sara. Wake up."

Again, she mumbled something that sounded very familiar to 'fuck off' and rolled over. Grissom sighed, sensing a challenge. She was difficult when awake and apparently not much difference when she sleeps.

"Sara." He said, louder and firmer. "Up. Now."

She rolled over again, this time facing him, and slowly opened her eyes. She looked at him with slight confusion.

"I'm here to pick you up, remember?" He said with a small smile.

"Go away."

Her reply was more hostile than confused.

"Sara, I can't 'go away'. Get up so we can leave." He replied, getting increasingly frustrated.

"I mean go away so I can get ready." Her words were slightly slurred, and her eyes were still half closed.

Deciding it was best to leave her alone for awhile, Grissom went out into her kitchen in search of something he could feed her. Her fridge contained stacks of take-out containers while her cub boards held barely anything at all.

He sighed and decided that they would be stopping somewhere for breakfast and many cups of coffee.

Grissom sighed and went around to her front room. A couple books layed across her coffee table, one of which Grissom had given her a couple years back as a birthday gift.

"Introduction to the study of insects" was the title. He was glad to see that Sara was putting it to good use. Picking up the book, he sat down in the middle of Sara's couch and began to read.

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She covered her head with a pillow again. She had just gotten to sleep when Grissom barged in and forced her awake. Could he not have let her sleep for another 20 minutes? Or another 20 years for that matter?

She groaned and pushed herself off her bed, making her way across the hall to her bathroom. She glanced over and saw Grissom sitting on her couch, absorbed by his own bug book. She gave a little grin and made her way into her bathroom yawning.

After getting dressed and demonstrating good hygiene, she ventured out into the front room where Grissom was still engrossed in his book.

She gave a little cough and smiled when he looked up.

"Ready to go?" She asked, a lot more cheerful than she had been twenty minutes ago.

"Where are your bags?" He asked, standing up and putting the book down.

"In the kitchen. I'll get them" she said, making her way towards her kitchen but Grissom cut in front of her.

"No need. Go wait by the van,I've got them." He said, bending down to pick up the two dark blue duffel bags

Sara stood shocked for a moment, surprised by this thoughtful gesture. She silently went to wait outside.

As she stepped out into the sunlight, a cool breeze hit her. Newspapers were already at her neighbors doors, and she could hear a dog barking in the distance.

She went towards what she assumed was their van. They needed something big enough to fit the night shift, so the lab rented a van for them. Eight passenger Chevrolet Express Van. A light blue color.

She threw open the door and sat in the front seat, preparing herself for what was sure to be a long month.


End file.
